The Toronto Blue Jays are calling up right-handed pitchers Nate Pearson and Bryan Baker as rosters expand Wednesday, per Sportsnet‘s Shi Davidi.
Pearson, 25, has been rehabbing a groin injury at triple-A Buffalo — an injury suffered in the minors after he struggled to find a place with the Blue Jays at the start of the season. The Blue Jays have been preparing Pearson to finish the season as a reliever and he struck out the side in one scoreless inning of work in one of Buffalo’s two wins over Sacramento Thursday.
Baker has never pitched at the major league level but has served as the primary closer for the Bisons this season, his first full campaign at triple-A. The 26-year-old has a 1.36 in 33 innings of relief this season with 40 strikeouts and nine saves.
The Blue Jays acquired Baker from the Colorado Rockies in 2018 as the player to be named later in the Seunghwan Oh trade.
On Tuesday, the Blue Jays designated reliever Brad Hand for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. Neither Pearson or Baker need to be added to the 40-man roster, meaning the spot left by Hand is available if the Blue Jays choose to activate someone off the 60-man IL, such as relief pitcher Julian Merryweather.
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